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Tag Archives: AR

Entering Q2: Our Future Marketing Predictions

Posted On: March 26, 2020Category: Audio / Video Marketing, Direct Mail Marketing, Virtual Reality / Augmented RealityTag(s): AR, dimensional mail, direct mail, video mailers, video marketing, VRPosted By: Hillary

In the lead up to the new quarter, we put our heads together to share our vision for the months ahead. Here are a few trends we think will be shaping our marketing throughout the remainder of 2020.

Video Marketing

It’s no secret that customers respond well to visual content. Now, more than ever, this type of content is essential, due to in person meetings and events being cancelled. But, just because you can’t be there in person, doesn’t mean you can’t be there at all. Video marketing is relatable, emotional and aids in building relationships. Much like we predicted in 2019, video content will continue to be an essential part of any marketing strategy for the duration of 2020.

Whether you’re just getting started with video marketing or you want to up your video marketing’s “wow factor”, give our Video Mailers a try. Not only are they attention-getting, they also provide a visual experience of your brand for your prospects.

Online Goes Offline

Believe it or not, what’s tried and true are staples for a reason. That’s why direct mail still has value.

However, now brands are using technology and data gleaned from customers’ online presence to inform how to approach them offline. Billboards, retailers and others have begun experimenting with this ultra-targeted communication and consumers are falling for it.

Don’t have the budget (or the data) to do this yourself? Use what you do know about your customers to approach them in a thoughtful way that is both relevant and valuable to them.

Increased Direct Communication

Similar to our above point about personalizing direct mail, we expect the channels of communication between customers and brands to improve. Instead of the impersonal connections that many social platforms and websites offer, we’re seeing text messaging platforms, real-time Twitter Q&As, and on-call customer service representatives resurfacing and resurrecting the strong direct connections many of us have missed having with our favorite brands.

Sensory Immersion

It’s not just about pumping out consistent content anymore. Customers are oversaturated with it. Instead, capturing the attention of potential buyers will require brands to get more creative. Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) will continue to deliver on this front, but we’ll also see more interactive marketing experiences like this one that engage each of the five senses.

How Marketers are Leveraging AR this Holiday Season

Posted On: December 18, 2019Category: Virtual Reality / Augmented RealityTag(s): AR, ar technology, augmented reality, Dimensional Print, direct mail, holiday, marketing, print marketing, technologyPosted By: Hillary

Augmented reality (AR) is one of the most popular technology trends right now – and marketers have taken notice. As we enter the holiday rush, brands the world over are leveraging the technology to drive both customer engagement as well as purchases.

Here are some examples:

Office Depot

Elf Yourself is a recurring campaign by Office Depot, which lets users turn themselves (or others) into elves using the brand’s website and app. In recent years, the Elf Yourself app has been updated with new features, including AR and the ability to print your elf as a seasonal greeting card and/ or share on social media using the hashtag #ElfYourself.

JC Penny

In partnership with Verizon Media, the brand is taking advantage of the holiday proposal season and launched a 2019 mobile ad campaign for their Modern Bride Collection. Clicking on ads that appear on HuffPost Life, Yahoo Sports and other Verizon Media properties activates an AR feature which allows soon-to-be-brides to try on engagement rings.

Starbucks

Building on the popularity of their iconic holiday cups, Starbucks released four limited edition cup designs in early November. Each design, when used with Instagram, springs to life with its own AR effect.

Now it’s your turn. Do you have an idea for how to integrate AR into your marketing campaign? Contact us to bring it to life!

Looking to Take Advantage of USPS’ 2019 Promotions? Here’s How.

Posted On: March 28, 2019Category: Audio / Video Marketing, Dimensional Print Marketing, Direct Mail Marketing, Virtual Reality / Augmented Reality, Webkeys / QR CodesTag(s): AR, dimensional, direct mail, marketing, NFC, print, promotions, QR, technology in print, USPS, Video In Print, Virtual realityPosted By: Hillary

Earlier in the year, the U.S. Postal Service re-introduced the first of six new promotions on direct mail for business. Although these promotions could provide substantial discounts on postage for businesses looking to send direct mail, meeting the requirements will entail some work. Here, we’ve broken down two of the six promotions the USPS is offering in 2019.

The Tactile, Sensory and Interactive (TSI) promotion is for mailers who enhance their customers’ experience through direct mail via the use of advanced print innovations in paper, specialty inks and interactive elements like pop-ups or folds. Mailers can register for this promotion through July 31, 2019 upon which they’ll be eligible for an upfront two percent postage discount during the promotional period on qualified marketing mail, non-profit letters and flats.
The USPS’ second promotion, for Emerging and Advanced Technology, encourages mailers to incorporate emerging technologies like Augmented Reality (AR), Near Field Communications (NFC), Virtual Reality (VR), and Video In Print into their direct mail pieces. The idea here is to make the physical direct mail piece more effective by incorporating it into a cohesive and multi-channel campaign. Registration is open through August 31, 2019 and the promotion runs from March 1 through August 31. Like the TSI promotion, the Emerging and Advanced Technology promotion gives an upfront two percent postage discount at the time of mailing.

For more information and guidance on how to create a campaign that meets the USPS requirements, click here.

Let’s Get ‘Phygital’

Posted On: February 26, 2019Category: Audio / Video Marketing, Dimensional Print Marketing, Direct Mail Marketing, Technology, Virtual Reality / Augmented Reality, Webkeys / QR CodesTag(s): AR, B2B, digitalandprint, dimensional, direct mail, engaging, interactive, marketing, phygital, print, QR, solution, technology, Virtual reality, VRPosted By: Hillary

Print and digital. Digital and print.

These two forms of marketing, once separate, are now (combined) the key to what could be a powerful integrated marketing strategy, especially as postal rates and paper costs continue to drive up companies’ budgets. While it’s instinctive that organizations looking to slash operational spend decrease print and postage costs, print is still preferred by 60 percent of customers.

How do you find perfect harmony between managing rising print and mail costs while still maintaining an excellent experience for the consumer?

The answer, according to Matt Swain from Broadridge, is choice.

He posits in this article that organizations are “in a position to create a more strategic alignment between their print and digital communications” by going “phygital” – combining print with digital.

As businesses look more favorably at incorporating integrated marketing campaigns into their strategic plans, many are redesigning their print communications in order for them to complement their digital counterparts. Part of this move includes bridging the gap with technology.

QR, AR, VR and more allow businesses to introduce themselves and their products in a “paperless” way. We’re seeing these technologies drive customer engagement and strengthen customer-business relationships. Plus, the use of this technology may qualify your business for an upfront 2 percent USPS postage promotion discount that is in effect for 2019. Not to mention, combined with a high-impact dimensional printed format, the engagement level of each marketing campaign which includes these technologies increases.

What About Near Field Communication?

Posted On: March 25, 2015Category: Custom Design & Printing, Ideas & Inspiration, Marketing Insights, Shout-Outs, Technology, Virtual Reality / Augmented RealityTag(s): AR, augmented reality, Barkley Advertising, Kraft Foods, mobile, mobile marketing, near field communication, point of purchase, QR, retail marketing, Samsung, smartphone, technologyPosted By: Nick Loeser

For the last few years print and technology have been dancing around one another, closing in on ways to take brand experiences to the next level. With smartphones taking over the consumer market, near field communication (similar to QR and AR codes) is poised to take your brand’s interactions with consumers to a whole new level. Continue reading →

Incorporating Technology into Print Marketing

Posted On: February 27, 2014Category: Audio / Video Marketing, Custom Design & Printing, Dimensional Print Marketing, Direct Mail Marketing, Ideas & Inspiration, Marketing Insights, Technology, Virtual Reality / Augmented Reality, Webkeys / QR CodesTag(s): AR, augmented reality, brand building, branding, Dimensional Print, dimensional print marketing, near field communication, NFC, print marketing, social media, taggarPosted By: Nick Loeser

Hello, friends! This week we’re talking tech. We’ll take a quick look at some cool ideas that you can easily incorporate into your printed campaign. By incorporating these cost-effective elements into your strategy, your customers are able to interact with your brand in another dimension. Let’s start with the basics:

Video, Lights, and Sound: You can marry full motion video with the printed page. Video is available in a variety of screen sizes, video lengths, and is fully rechargeable and re-usable. It’s also 100% customizable. Think audio and LED panel lights are more suited to your marketing needs? Connect with your customers by inserting this technology in unique magazine inserts, direct mail, point of purchase displays, and premiums. Check out a video player that we produced for Qutenza:

code# 8512-590

Augmented Reality (AR) is not new, but has steadily been gaining traction in recent years. The aim of AR is to simulate an environment in real-time via your mobile device or desktop computer.

Augmented Reality on a mobile device.

A printed “tag” lives on your print piece and this acts as the trigger to launch the animation, the video, or the 3D rendering that responds to the context of your environment. Check out more about how our partner Taggar, is revolutionizing the industry:

Taggar makes AR sociable

Near Field Communication: (NFC) has also been a player for several years but is still considered cutting-edge. The basic premise of this technology utilizes wireless radio communications. NFC tags are small, thin discs that can be inserted into print pieces or stickers and are read via your smartphone or other NFC-enabled device. There are multiple vendors who are already building this capability into the hardware of their mobile devices – including Samsung, Nokia, and LG.

Here are some potential creative uses for NFC tags in everyday life. (Imagine what you could do to promote your brand and increase customer interaction!)

Creative NFC Ideas

All of these unique mediums are totally customizable. The only limits are what we can imagine together!